TWELVE All Australian nominees and only one loss throughout the tournament means Vic Metro gets a big tick in the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships. Their one loss came unexpectedly, going down to Queensland for the first time ever, but they certainly didn’t lose any admirers after that effort.

Key players:

Madison Prespakis

The winner of the Vic Metro Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Overall MVP, Prespakis had a tournament to remember. Making an impact in the midfield and in the forward line, Prespakis did not seem to miss a beat for Metro, being one of their most important players throughout the tournament. At her damaging best, she was unstoppable with her penetrating kicks, aggressive tackling and strong hands.

Katie Lynch

Lynch had a huge impact on the Vic Metro line-up, winning the contested ball and executing long, clearing kicks. Her strong hands were also an asset of her game and held her in good stead throughout the tournament, giving her opportunities to move the ball forward with ease. Although we didn’t see much of her in the TAC Cup Girls competition, Lynch showed us what she’s made of during the Championships with relentless pressure and swift ball movement, making the All Australian side.

Gabby Newton

Newton picked up where she left off in the TAC Cup Girls competition, proving why she won the Northern Knights Best and Fairest. Newton racked up a heap of the ball in the midfield across the tournament with her constant hunger to win the footy. She also took some strong grabs and used her clean hands to effect. Newton found herself amongst the goals as well, kicking four goals from four games.

Daisy Bateman

Bateman is a player who just knows how to find the goals. She was Metro’s leading goal kicker of the tournament, with five goals from four games. For a player who is not overly tall, Bateman always managed to position herself well against bigger bodies and when she couldn’t, she was able to sneak out the back of the pack and sneak a goal in. She was a clever footballer who didn’t miss a beat in this tournament, being a dangerous force up forward.

Georgia Patrikios

Patrikios is one of the most exciting footballers to watch, as her agility and clever ball use allows her to create plenty of scoring opportunities for her side. When she found space, she used it well, electing to run and carry and keep the play going, which helped Metro pile on the goals throughout the carnival. Patrikios is a player who can make an impact in any area of the ground and she proved that during the Championships with her swift ball movement.

Eleanor Brown

Another player who knows how to find the footy, Brown managed to rack up plenty of possessions throughout the tournament and make an impact with them. Her strong and clean hands were an asset of her game as they allowed her to create forward thrusts for her side. A deserving All Australian, Brown worked hard to win the footy at all times which proved invaluable for Metro due to her ability to use the ball so well both by hand and by foot.

Mikala Cann

Even though she missed one game during the tournament, Cann still managed to make the All Australian side thanks to her ability to display elite ball use in the middle of the ground. She was a key player on the inside for Metro as her quick hands would allow her side to clear the congestion and go forward. She was creative with the ball in hand, using a variety of kicks and handballs to hit up a target.

Emerson Woods

Woods was able to create ample opportunities when she got the ball in hand, thanks to her long and clever kicks. She had a high work rate throughout the tournament, popping up in many areas of the ground and using the well when she got it. Her strong and clean hands allowed her to control the play for Metro and create scoring opportunities.

Georgia Macpherson

As usual, Macpherson was a solid rock in defence. Her intercept and uncontested marking were truly spectacular as she always positioned herself well in the back half. This allowed her to prevent the other teams from scoring, which was a big reason why Metro only dropped one game during the carnival.

Isabella Grant

Grant displayed a high work rate throughout the tournament with her strong hands and wonderful agility. She was able to side-step opponents with ease and managed to kick the ball long out of congestion to get her side out of trouble. She was a valuable asset in the Vic Metro line-up and deserved her place in the All Australian side as she kept improving as the tournament went along.

RESULTS:

Monday July 9

VIC METRO: 3.2 | 5.2 | 7.5 | 7.9 (51)
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 6.7 (43)

GOALS
Vic Metro: Daisy Bateman 2,Gabby Newton 2, Georgia Macpherson, Britney Gutknecht, Cleo Saxon-Jones.
Western Australia: Kate Bartlett 2, Mikayla Hyde, Taneisha Anderson, Sabreena Duffy, Roxanne Roux.

BESTS
Vic Metro: Mikala Cann, Gabby Newton, Madison Prespakis, Abbie McKay, Katie Lynch, Georgia Patrikios
Western Australia: McKenzie Dowrick, Kate Bartlett, Matilda Sergeant, Rikkiesha Carling, Mikayla Bowen, Roxanne Roux

Wednesday, July 11

QUEENSLAND 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 4.3 (27)
VIC METRO 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.1 (19)

GOALS:
Queensland: Zimmorlei Farquharson 2, Charlotte Hammans, Isabel Dawes.
Vic Metro: Gabby De Angelis, Holly Bate, Madison Prespakis.

ADC BEST:
Queensland: Lily Postlethwaite, Zimmorlei Farquharson, Isabel Dawes, Tori Groves-Little, Charlotte Hammans, Natalie Grider
Vic Metro: Eleanor Brown, Gabby Newton, Madison Prespakis, Katie Lynch, Georgia Macpherson, Georgia Patrikios

Friday, July 13

VIC METRO: 3.1 | 5.2 | 9.5 | 10.6 (66)
CENTRAL ALLIES 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 3.3 (21)

GOALS:
Vic Metro: Gabby Newton 2, Daisy Bateman 2, Britney Gutknecht 2, Cleo Saxon-Jones, Holly Bate, Madison Prespakis, Georgia Patrikios.
Central Allies: Danielle Ponter, Katelyn Rosenzweig, Rachelle Martin.

ADC BEST:
Vic Metro: Madison Prespakis, Georgia Patrikios, Daisy Bateman, Katie Lynch, Sarah Kendall, Eleanor Brown
Central Allies: Hannah Munyard, Montana McKinnon, Madeline Gault, Nikki Gore, Amber Ward, Madison Bennett